while, we had ample opportunities to observe their conduct and the bent of their mind. Those who, after a trial of five or six months, or longer, proved sincere, were baptized, and afterwards placed in the country, as Assistants to the former Catechists. In no other way could we have supplied the want of Teachers. With all these Country Teachers, we made this further arrangement: three weeks they spent at their Stations; the fourth week they all collected together in Palamcottab, when they delivered their Reports, were corrected in any points when they had erred, and received further instructions in Theology and the care of souls. Thus furnished and strengthened anew, they went forth afresh to their work. This plan is still pursued with them; *and we find it a very good and useful

Of Roman Catholics only 21 persons, and from the Tanjore or other Protestant Missions only 12 families, have joined our establishment: the rest were all Heathen, and many are still under Christian instruction for Baptism.

Before we proceed to mention the present state of these Congregations, it is necessary to allude to the many persecutions to which they have hitherto been subjected. The very first Congregation at Tiroopoolangoody has had a great deal to suffer, as already stated: they have patiently endured; not one has denied the faith; and they enjoy now comparative quietness. The second Congregation which arose, was at Sembenkoodiyirooppoo, where the new Village of the Christians is now called Aroolloor: it has existed now four years: the vexations and injuries which they have received, both in body and estate, have been nearly innumerable. Paranniappen, a rich Native in the neighbourhood, began to dispute with the Brahmin who sold us a piece of ground for settling the Catechumens, about his right to do so. The case was referred to the Collector, who decided, after a troublesome and patient investigation, in favour of the Brahmin. As the Converts could justly witness in favour of the latter, this and the further circumstance that several people of Paranniappen's Village joined our Congregation, seem to have been the causes of his inveterate hatred against the latter, and of his determination to extirpate them if possible. During the three first years, he evinced it in many ways, by suborning the watchmen and others of his people to beat and rob them. As he did not succeed, he at last, in October 1826, got the Headman of the Christians in Aroolloor actually murdered, and many of the other people, women not excepted, greatly injured in their bodies. By briberies and false witnesses, he has escaped the punish.

ment due to him. In the course of these troubles, several, who had at first joined the Congregation, being gained over by him both by threats and persuasions, added to presents, left the Congregation, and joined his party, and have greatly assisted him in his outrages. Shortly after the return of the murderers from the prison, being most unjustly acquitted, the house of our Catechist at Aroolloor was burnt down: we have every reason to believe it was done by the enemy. The patience and stedfastness with which these oppressed people endured these afflictions are truly gratifying. Only two Families have left the Congregation for fear of them.

In another Congregation, at Peykoollam, the Brahmins, at first friendly to the people, changed by degrees their favourable disposition, gained some of the Congregation over to their side, and at last burned down the Chapel. Though the case was quite clear, as the Brahmins themselves admitted the crime before us, yet at the Court they escaped by briberies, and each of them was fined only two rupees for some trivial part of the offence. Most of those who had been misled by them afterwards saw their error, and returned to the Congregation, and are now diligent ly learning the Word of God.

Thus many of the other Congregations have had to suffer, in one way or other. We cannot say that Christianity has always been the sole cause of these afflictions; but it certainly excited an increased hatred against the people, and stimulated their enemies to be vexatious: in some, disputes about the ownership of Villages; in others, extortions from the Native Tax-Officers, were among the causes. Both with respect to lands and taxes, this district has been, more perhaps than any other district, in confusion. Formerly, the Shanars, who were owners of lands, were so oppressed by the higher castes, that the former did not dare to trans

act their own business about their possessions in the public offices; which made them choose agents from the higher castes, whom they rewarded for the trouble: these agents had, of course, their names registered in the Public Accounts. In time, by various intrigues and secret understandings with the Public Native Accountants, these agents gradually intruded into the possessions of their employers, and at last gave it out that those lands were their own. The former were kept under; so that, often for many years, they feared to assert their rights; for if any one dared to do so, the deceivers, being of high caste, had many means in hand to oppress them and make all their efforts prove fruitless. But when the Collectors began to look into matters, and particularly when the late Collector shewed every dispo sition to render justice to every class of Natives, and to admit even the lowest into the Public Offices to assert their rights, those oppressed people got courage, and brought forward their claims. When the deceivers saw that they could not now carry their threatenings into execution, as formerly, they did all they could to intimidate and injure them : to this they were the more excited, if any of them renounced Idolatry, and put themselves under Christian instruction. The maltreatment they received from them was often atrocious, and crying to Heaven. Men and women, with their infants, were, in the monsoon time, cast out of their houses, false complaints were made against them, and they were put in prison, till their rights could be esta blished.

Just now another atrocious case has occurred. Some inimical Heathen and Moormen in Kongalarayakooritchy came together ten days ago, and used threatening language against our people, and in the night set fire to our School or PrayerHouse there. Whilst they came over

to Palamcottah to inform us of the circumstance, the enemies burnt down a small Moorman shop, and were beforehand with the Tasildar, complaining against the Christians, as if they had burnt it down. Of course the Tasildar sent out a warrant to apprehend them. The case is not yet decided.

We cannot but say here a few words on the facility with which such wicked schemes can, under the present system of administering justice, be transacted. The law is, that if any thing is proved by witnesses, the judge or magistrate must decide in favour of it. Now, these unprincipled Heathen can get any number of witnesses, for a few fanams, to swear to any thing; and it is in this way that most crying injustices are committed, even by the European Magistrates, contrary to their own wish. The worst in these circumstances is, that the Magistrate can receive no private information respecting any case; which, if he could, I would give him much light on it: this is so far just, in case it be prac tised with respect to both parties: but the fact is, the Heathen have always secret intercourse with the Tasildar and Court Servants, who, notwithstanding all injunctions to the contrary, are easily bribed, to make such representations to their European master as they think best: the CHRISTIAN cannot do this: and the Court Officers, who are HEATHEN, willingly lend themselves to the oppression of the Christians, favouring the Heathen. But that such is the way in which justice is administered in these parts, it is notorious; and I could multiply instances of the horrible and most distressing consequences of it, by which the innocent, not only among the Christians, but also among the Heathen, suffer. The trial by witnesses is so far right, if all have the same principles of justice, or the same check against committing perjuries, &c. The Christians have

a check, by the instructions which they receive: the Heathen have it not, and therefore can go on with impunity. There are shrewd and wicked Heathen in this district, who actually make a trade of false accusations, who get a number of witnesses together to swear to any thing. The accused party is often entirely innocent of the alleged crime; but on his being apprehended, rather than risk being carried 100 miles to the Court, having there to wait in prison perhaps six or eight months, leaving his family to starve, he secretly compromises with the accuser, pays him some money, and so is let free and in this traffic Peons and Ketcherry writers are all implicated, and share in the spoil. Surely this state of things requires the attention of the Government.

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In the Tax affairs it is no better. A number of Villages have a Public Accountant; whose object is to fill his chatties with money, and who does his duty just as far as he can do it without being detected in his frauds. His duty is, to number the people, adjust their taxes according to their respective employments, and to collect them. In this affair he practises all possible skill to cheat the Government, and to oppress the people. Suppose there are in a Village 30 houses, 15 of which come under one sort of taxes, and 15 under another : of these 15, he will register only four, and let the rest go free, taking a bribe from them; and all the 15 pay only as much as is received from four. This was the case with a Vil. lage before it came under Christian instruction: after that, the people were instructed not to give bribes, and to pay to Government what is due. The Accountant comes the next year, with the intention of playing the same trick over again: the people refuse to give him a bribe: instantly he changes his account, and registers them all; so that now they must pay nine or ten fanams cach,

whereas formerly they paid but two or three. His registering them all is no more than just; but as the Christians are still men, having no clear idea about taxes, they refuse to pay, saying, "We have all along paid only so much, and now we are required to pay two or three times more." The Accountant has a fair excuse, in case they complain, and has many ways of preventing the discovery of his cheats. Oftentimes the people know nothing about his frauds, the Accountant having made up matters secretly with one or two of the Headmen or owners of the Villages. Now, when the people be come Christians, they will not dance according to the pipe of those men. Instantly they put the whole tax upon them, and make such proposals as these: "Come over to our Village, worship again our idols, smear ashes on your forehead, and you shall be as happy as before." Upon a refusal, which they often make, thinking seriously, from ignorance of facts, that the increase of taxes is a mere caprice of the Accountant, they have Peons sent to them, who drag these "Christian fellows" to pri. son, and ill-treat them: this wicked practice obtains throughout the district. It will be said, that the people may complain, and then they will get redress. But, in the first place, their oppressors have many means of oppressing them still more in case they complain; for fear of which, they rather suffer quietly: or, they are ignorant of Ketcherry proceedings, and manage their affairs so badly that the craft of their opponents nearly always triumphs. Last year the Sub-Collector introduced a plan for checking such oppressions, by giving to each householder a written document of what he had to pay: but all the evil is not taken away thereby : the Accountant still finds pretexts to ask more than is due, or can still leave out from his Register those whom he wishes to favour; and so it happens,

that the people of a certain employ-* ment in one Village, have to pay double or treble the amount that the people of the same employment in the neighbouring Villages have to pay. Here envy is set at work. The man in the former Village refuses to pay. Of course, envy is not to be defended; but still every body will allow that too great occasion is given for it; and we do not wonder to see this envy operate in those who have joined the Christian Church: they are still men, and only just emerging from darkness. How would a European act, if he were placed in the same circumstances? I am sure he would find it extremely unjust, to pay more than his neighbour, who in no respect differs from him. In Europe they have certain modes of redress; but the Native Christian in India has none, as above described; or if he has, there are too many obstacles in his way to use them. Thus, Native Christians have also in this respect a great many dif ficulties and vexations to contend with, and the Government is cheated: and sure we are, that when the coun try shall be christianized, the Government's Treasury will be filled to half the amount more than what it now receives, owing to the cheats which these Accountants and Miraskarers at present practise. Occasionally, when these men have enmity against the Heathen inhabitants, they also have to suffer in a similar manner. But in his reports to the Collector of those who will not pay, the Accountant carefully excludes the Heathen from the list, and always puts forth the Christians; so that persons not knowing the real state of things, are led to think that these only are unwilling to pay. All this adds to the troubles of the Christians but this is not all. When the people were in Heathenism, they paid certain taxes to idol temples for the performance of idolatry, and other contributions for the maintenance of